Lex Med Blog

Lexington Medical Center is pleased to present its January physician lecture, “New Year, New You: Aesthetic Facial Rejuvenation Resolutions,” on Monday, January 26, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. inside the Lexington Medical Park 1 Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to the public. It’s part of the hospital’s monthly physician lecture series on health topics that are important to our community.

Dr. Todd Lefkowitz of Lexington Plastic Surgery, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice, will be the featured speaker. A West Columbia native, Dr. Lefkowitz graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and completed a general surgery residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center in Manhattan. Then, he attended the University of Louisville for further formal training in plastic surgery, learning the latest aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgical techniques. Dr. Lefkowitz also completed a highly competitive aesthetic surgery fellowship in New York City, focusing on cosmetic surgery of the face, breast and body. Dr. Lefkowitz is dual board certified in general surgery and plastic surgery.

During the lecture, Dr. Lefkowitz will address plastic surgery procedures ranging from Botox injections to facelifts.

To learn more about Dr. Lefkowitz and his practice, visit LexPlasticSurgery.com.

Lexington Medical Center offers a monthly physician lecture series on a variety of pertinent health topics. For more information on upcoming lectures, visit LexMed.com.

LMC Dietitian Donna Quirk says this smoothie recipe is great for a breakfast on the go. It combines lean protein, fiber, fruits and vegetables to power you through a busy morning.

She talked about it today on WLTX with morning news anchor Lionel Moise.

News co-anchors Lionel and Ashley liked them so much that they drank them on set.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup frozen banana slices (about 1 medium banana)
1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1-2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey (optional)

Mix together in blender. Enjoy!

Serving Size: about 1 1/2 cups

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

By Laura Stepp, MA RD LD CDE at LMC

Every New Year’s Eve. millions of people think about or make a resolution. But, what is a resolution? According to the Merrian-Webster dictionary, a resolution is “the act of resolving” something. Resolving is further described as “the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones”.

Often when people make a New Year’s Resolution, they resolve to change something big or do something great, better, or more. While everyone’s resolutions are genuine and meant to be helpful to either self or community, a resolution to do something big such as: run a marathon, do a triathlon, walk 10,000 steps a day or the #1 resolution – to Lose Weight or Be Healthier, often ends up unachieved. What starts out with so much enthusiasm at the beginning of the year, general fades by February or March. We see it all the time; the health clubs are crowded so you wait in line for the treadmill or stationary bike and the exercise classes are full.

Unfortunately by February and definitely by March the health club is almost empty. Why do we see this? What happened? Did everyone just give up on all those resolutions? Did they decide losing weight or being healthier isn’t important? Of course not! They likely forgot the definition of resolution: “The act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones”.

We have to be SMART about our resolutions in order to achieve them. Like everything we do there are steps to achievement.

SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant and Time Bound

Here is an example. You resolve to Change your Diet to Be Healthier:

Specific: What about your diet do you want to change or improve? Decide what this means for you. It could mean:
• Cut back on portion sizes
• Eat less processed food
• Eat out less often
• Eat less fast food
• Eat more vegetables and/or fruit?

Then state exactly what you want to change. For example:

“I will switch my chips at lunch for vegetables”.

“I will eat fruit versus something sweet/candy for a snack.”

Measurable: Give your goal a number value. For example,

“Daily, I will consume ½ cup chopped vegetables with my sandwich.”

“I will add one extra serving of vegetables to my dinner.”

“I will bring my lunch to work three times a week.”

Attainable: Think small – one change at a time. Work on one meal at a time, one day at a time. Making more than one change every 3-4 days can become overwhelming which can lead to all good intentions being abandoned.

Realistic: Honestly ask your self – Can I do this? And, state your change, your new habit in a positive manner. For example:

“I am going to eat one piece of fruit once a day for lunch or afternoon for a snack instead of chips or cookies.”

“I am going to add one new vegetable weekly.

“Every week I am going to experiment with one new vegetable preparing it in different ways to see how many ways I can enjoy it.”

Time Bound: Set a firm time limit to achieve a goal and gauge your progress. For instance, consider making one change a week. You could keep a food log for one week to check your progress. When you have accomplished the initial goal then set a new goal to building on the one you have accomplished.

Changing one’s lifestyle is a journey and must be treated like a long term adventure. Breaking down a goal into manageable parts makes it easier to see progress and stay motivated. It also allows to adjustments when necessary.

Be SMART and have a Happy New Year!